Clementine's Garage
Clementine the Cat
 
Image of flower
Yellow R4
 
home my cars restoration tech tips guides forum
Réparateur d'automobiles

WTB: 1963 R1123 owner's manual

T

Trackyellow

Enthusiast
Messages
18
hi everyone!
I am now the very proud owner of of a Cannes Blue 1963 R4 ... (alongside two R16s, both '76 autos and a '79 R12 1.4 estate which is badged here as a Renault Virage ...)
Although I have a later model driving and maintenance booklet, I's really like to get the '63 version ... so if anyone out there has one to sell and can post to Oz, please let me know.
cheers Franklin White (F.White@murdoch.edu.au)
PS what a great website!!
 
Look on ebay uk. Punch 'Renault 4' into your favourites - there is bound to be one listed one day - all good things come to those that wait :wink:

Steve
 
Hi, unsure exactly what you are after ? but i di have a early [1965] genuine Renault workshop manual .Is this any use ?
 
R4 owner's manual

thanks Steve and Liam

yes ... ebay is a regular hunting ground ... though patience will take a little longer ...

thanks for offer of a manual Liam - I have a workshop manual and a parts catalogue, just chasing the little handbook that goes with the car when sold new!

cheers franklin
 
The one you will be needing is NE 901 EA. This covers the R1120, R1121 and R1122 models, with two loose leaf addendums for the later R1123. Pic on the cover is a 3/4 front shot of an R4 Super, rego number 9660 LN 75, along some dirt road with an old bomb shelter type construction in the background. Ebay is likely the best bet, but keep your eyes peeled in odd book shops too.

I suspect your car is the ex John Elliot R4. That particular car would originally have been painted Cosmic Blue (the interior paint colour) and is actually a French 1964 MY car and 1965 Australian assembly (sliding windows in rear doors, seat belt anchorages). I also suspect it may also be a cousin to my parts car originally Cosmic Blue and oval plate R1123 82xxx.
 
The R4 manual ...

hi simon

yep, you're right! its the john elliott R4 ... now headed west. thanks for the extra info too, much appreciated! Excuse my ignorance but can you explain the "French 1964 MY car" ... and I was under the imporession this was a '63 model! nice to know there's a sibling out there too. john also gave me a new floorpan as the driver's side needs replacing so i'll have to get this done before having it registered. and yes, has sliding windows on the rear doors and seat belts too. can't wait to have it on the road! If you're ever in the west, make sure to get in touch (and that goes for any other R4 owner!).

cheers franklin
 
Re: The R4 manual ...

The French 1964 model year R1123 version commenced at oval plate number 75092 running up to 158638.

This version had the sliding glass in the rear doors, and fixed glass in the rear quarter glass, unlike the hinged glass of the earlier cars. Also it has the three holes in the B pillar for the seat belts, with proper bolt anchorages in the floor pan for the fronr seat belts. Also it has the self supporting rear hatch, unlike the earlier cars which have a manual prop and the dash has a metal cladding (grey crackle on the early versions)which covers the dangly bits like the wiper motor and LHS and RHS's of the dash, as well as the ashtray transferring to the top of the dash from the heater (which is also painted grey).

For Australia, this model was introduced in late 1965, (Australian assembled) so in Australia would be a 1965 model car. Then you get an example like my white car, which is late 1964 French model year (R1123 149xxx), 3rd quarter 1966 Australian assembled (black crackle dash paint, enamel paint) and first registered in 1967 so for registration it is a 1967 model.
 
hi Simon
according to the written info i have, the chassis no. is 3834109 the oval number is 82909 and the engine number is 102281, but i have yet to verify these numbers. everything else (including the rego) says its a '63 ... should be interesting when i eventually take it over the pits here! the dash is metal with a black plastic crackle finsh over the top ... can take some pics if you're interested.
cheers f.
 
I can assure you that the car is a 1964 French model year car, and I admit I'm a Renault nerd :-). Whilst there is a possibility the car was pressed out in late 1963, being early in the oval plate number range for the 1964MY (French model years commencing at the Paris motor show date in the prior year), as a CKD kit travelling to West Heidelberg in Victoria it would certainly have arrived in Australia in 1964 at the earliest. The rego people would not pick the difference between it being a '63, '64 or '65 model so really it is no biggie and will not present any problems getting it re-registered. I'd say when the car was re-registered in the dim dark past possibly following being laid up, the year was unknown so a PO decided to call it a 1963 car.

For the information of the non Australian based people. Australia doesn't have a logbook registration system. So following the previous history of a car is a bit hit or miss, unless the car has had fastidious owners who have maintained receipts, maintenance and delivery documents. If that isn't the case you never know how many previous owners a car has had, or when or where a particular car was first registered and the information isn't provided through the registration agencies.
 
the R4 manual!

hi Simon
thanks for the accurate info, the car was purchased by John from NSW and he was told it was originally owned by a priest ... ironic really considering I'm as lapsed as they come ... if they threw holy water on me, it'd burn!
cheers frank
 
Re: the R4 manual!

Must be something about Aussie R4's, the second owner of mine was a priest too. It didn't do the car any good, the third owner let the car go before I rescued it from a field.
 
Don't think it's restricted to Australia. My F6 van used to be owned by nuns.

It's interesting to read about the history of your car Trackyellow. It's be good to see some photos if you have them. For the manual - the R4 Super on a dirt track sounds different from the one I have
mini_june_63_handbook.jpg
Maybe one or the other is a different year or the Australian manual has a different cover. I'd be interested in a scan of the front cover if anyone has one.
 
That pic is the NE 912 for the 1965/66MY cars, the last ones with the breadloaf grille and old style dash, before the 1967 cars with the breadloaf grille and new dash with tortoisehell stering wheel.

The NE 901 for my car is bound together with masking tape on the spine, but I'll scan it for reference purposes, as well as the NE 875 which I think is the earliest R4 handbook, judging from the extra error and addendum sheets that are included :-)
 
You are quite right - it has ne912 written on the front. I've been working off the date on the back but I guess that must be a print or design date rather than a model year date. Going to have to re-guess the dates of the rest of the manuals now.

I'd really appreciate scans of the covers of any other manuals to add to the collection.
 
Your NE 912 would have the correct printing date on it, I've checked the listing for the handbooks and the NE 912 would also cover the 1964 models, as well as the 1965 and 1966 models. However my car (1964 French MY R1123) which came with the original delivery books has the NE 901 with the R1123 addendum sheets, which I assume would have been combined with the main body of the book for the NE 912, you would never think handbooks would be so complex :-).

r4ne901_104.jpg


r4ne875_962.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for the scans of the handbooks. I'll add them to my handbook page (must have nearly half of them up there now although I'm still missing all the cool early 70's ones).

It's off that the first one mentions the model names (3, 4, 4L) then the next couple just have the oval plate code.
 
the R4 manual

hi Simon
thanks for the pic of the manual - now i know what to look for ... and now that everyone else does too, keep me in mind everyone! and Clementine, i'll get some pics of my R4 once I remember to buy some new batteries for the camera ...
cheers, f.
 
hi Steve
thanks for this - although it may be different to the Aussie manual, I'm sure the similarities would outweigh any differences (some of those rocker switches have me beat!)... i'll email the seller and see if he'll post to Oz ...
cheers franklin
 
It will be suitable for your car, it would be the NE912 which is the earlier NE 901 + R1123 supplements all rolled into the one manual. Either or would be suitable. There is no "Aussie" manual as such, even the R12 & 16 manuals were never "Australianised" for their unique differences.

FYI, the NE992 manual is the oddball one for the 1967 MY with the breadloaf grille, but with the later model dash.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top